The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a storage medium. More particularly, the invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a storage medium each utilizing an installer for the purpose of installing software.
Today's intensifying competition in software development has given rise to the frequent distribution of updated programs with newly added capabilities. Some of these programs are disclosed by their vendors on wide area networks such as the Internet so that users can readily acquire the latest version of the programs in their possession. In such cases, users download the latest software files free of charge or for a fee from a server on the Internet and install the downloaded files into their computers. This allows the users to make use of the updated software as soon as its latest feature are made available.
To install software into a computer requires storing the programs and data constituting the software in question onto a storage medium (e.g., magnetic recording medium) under control of an operating system (OS) while concurrently setting the environment of the OS. Many programs include a dedicated installer program that deals with the complicated steps of setting the environment of the OS upon software installation.
The installer program is a program which, when run by the computer, causes it to establish various settings preparatory to executing the application software in question. When thus run, the installer program specifically causes the computer to copy program and data files to suitable locations on the storage medium as well as to create folders where appropriate on the medium. The installer program also causes the computer to set the environment of the OS. By having the computer run the installer, the user can let the computer take over diverse tasks such as storing the program and setting the operation environment at the same time.
Most software products do not function on a standalone basis; they almost always cooperate with other programs and hardware elements in carrying out their functions. It follows that updating any given software product must be consistent with the functionality of other related programs. Illustratively, an updated OS may leave some application programs inoperable in its new environment. Furthermore, the licensing agreement of some applications does not allow them to be installed under the renewed OS.
Conventionally, checks on the consistency between the cooperative programs often amounted to a burdensome chore that must be done primarily by users. One way to bypass the trouble was by resorting to an installer prompting the computer to install the software in question and to check inter-program consistency. If the consistency was not attained, a warning was issued.
Conventional installers were distributed on the precondition that they be attached to the software they were supposed to install. That meant getting such an installer to verify program consistency required downloading all files constituting the software to be checked. It took time and trouble to do so. If the user was charged for network and telephone connections on an as-used basis, downloading ultimately unusable software added to the loss on the user's part.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and provides an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a storage medium for determining whether or not to permit software installation prior to acquisition of the software in question.